DESCRIPTION:
From '' The First Cut Is The Deepest ''
Label: Columbia ‎-- DB 8419
Format: Vinyl, 7", Single, 45 RPM
Country: UK
Released: 31 May 1968

Tracklist
A The First Cut Is The Deepest
B Walking Out
Written-By -- Keith Ellis, Stuart Leathwood

Producer -- David Paramor

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"The First Cut Is the Deepest" is a 1967 song written by Cat Stevens, originally released by P. P. Arnold in the spring of 1967.
Stevens' own version originally appeared on his album New Masters in December 1967.

The song has been widely covered and has become a hit single for four different artists: P. P. Arnold (1967), Keith Hampshire (1973), Rod Stewart (1977) and Sheryl Crow (2003).

Cat Stevens version

Stevens made a demo recording of "The First Cut Is the Deepest" in 1965, but originally hoped to become a songwriter.
He wrote the song earlier to promote his songs to other artists, but did not record it as his own performance until early October 1967 with guitarist Big Jim Sullivan, and it did not appear until his second album, New Masters, was released in December 1967.

He sold the song for £30 to P. P. Arnold and it became a huge hit for her, as well as an international hit, for Keith Hampshire, Rod Stewart, and Sheryl Crow.

The song has won Stevens songwriting awards, including two consecutive ASCAP songwriting awards for "Songwriter of the Year" in 2005 and 2006.

P. P. Arnold version

American expatriate singer P. P. Arnold had the first hit with the song, reaching number 18 on the UK Singles Chart with her version in May 1967, well ahead of the song appearing on Stevens' album.
British psych group The Koobas also covered the song at this time, but Arnold's version overshadowed theirs.

Noted 1960s British filmmaker Peter Lorrimer Whitehead made a primordial music video clip for the song, featuring a non-singing Arnold cavorting on a British beach alongside The Small Faces.

This version of the song features prominently in the film Seven Psychopaths.

Reggae versions

Norma Frazer became known through her hit Jamaican recording of "The First Cut Is The Deepest" in 1967.
Marcia Griffiths achieved a Jamaican hit with her version in 1973, a version that also found success in the UK.

A much covered song in the reggae genre other versions include those by: The Sixth Revelation, Barbara Jones, Joy White, Dawn Penn, Hortense Ellis, I-Roy who provides an unusual rapping version, Myrna Hague who adds jazz inflections and Judy Mowatt who renames the song "First Cut" and features it on her album "Mellow Mood".

Keith Hampshire version

Keith Hampshire had the first chart-topping hit of the song when his recording of it became a number one hit in Canada in 1973, reaching the top of the RPM 100 national singles chart on 12 May of that year.

Rod Stewart version

Stewart recorded the song at Muscle Shoals Sound Studio in Sheffield, Alabama, United States, and it appeared on his 1976 album A Night on the Town.
It was a huge success, and spent four weeks at number one on the UK Singles Chart in May 1977, number 11 in April in Canada, and also reached number 21 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S.

Sheryl Crow version

Sheryl Crow's version was the first of two singles released to promote her 2003 The Very Best of Sheryl Crow compilation album.

It became one of Crow's biggest radio hits, remaining 36 weeks in the Billboard Hot 100, and was also Crow's first Top 40 solo country hit, following the success of her hit duet with Kid Rock, "Picture".
The song topped the Airplay charts in the U.S. and became a platinum seller, also reaching number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart and went to number one on Adult Contemporary chart on two non consecutive weeks.

It was also featured during an episode of the CW's One Tree Hill, in which she also guest starred.
It was used for the Closing of the Final Episode of Showtime on ABS-CBN as the Talent Show Format in 28 January 2012.